Ophthalmic mounting



Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

ELMER L. SCHU'MACHER, OF SOUTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETZVS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERI- CAN OPTIGAL COMPANY,-OF SOUTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A 'VOLUNTARY AS-.

GIA'LION 6F MASSACHUSETTS.

OPHTHALMIC IliZOUNTING.

Application filed August 30, 1919. Serial No. 320,899.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER L. SCHU- MACHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Southbridge, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented. certain new and useful Improve..- ments in Ophthalmic Mountings, of which the following is specification.

This invention relates to improvements in ophthalmic mountings and has particular reference to an opthalinic mounting formed from suitably combined or united metallic and non-metallic members.

Previous to my invention numerous attempts have been made to produce mountings of the character above referred to, by either clamping the metal onto the zylonite, placing split zylonite or non-metallic tubular members around metal parts and securing them by clamps, screws, rivets or the like, and attempts have been made at embedding the metal in strip stock and then'the parts subsequently formed into the complete mounting. All of these prior art constructions, however, have met with certain difiiculties in construction and have presented certain unsatisfactory features in' their final embodiment due to the character'of zylonite and similar non-metallic materials, in that it has considerable tendency toward expansion and contraction, will 7 not properly hold its shape under varying heat conditions, and is relatively frangible while quite inflammable.

The attachment by large clips or the like when the device is foruse on an ophthalmic mounting, is unsightly. The attachment by rivets, screws, or the'like, necessitates the piercing of the non-metallic material with consequent weakening and possibility of breakage. The prior. embedment of a wire or the like for reinforcement purposes, renders. ,it impossible to properly attach the other fittings by soldering on account of the inflammability of the material and the partial embedment only of a reinforcement leaves the nonmetallic material tree to expand and con-' metallic tube held between the several formtract, with the consequent disadvantages.

It is, therefore, the purpose of my present invention to provide an improved construction which will eliminate all the defects present in the prior art constructions and provide an improved form of opthalmic mounting in which an entire metallic frame soldcred together or united in the regular manner may be employed, and in which the desired portions of such' frame may be equipped with a zylonlte or other non-metal- 11c coating or covering which shall be strong,

durable and attractive in appearance and will see rely remain in place without the use of separate additional or unsightly attachlng members,.and which will possess advantages in appearance and durability over the dipped type of mountings which have in the past been experimented with.

A further object of the present inven tlon 1s the provision of a novel and im? proved process or production of the article in question.

Other objects and advantages of my improved construction should be readilyapparent by reference to the following specie. fication taken in connection with the'accompanying drawings, and it will be understood that I may make any modifications in the specific details of construction shown and described within" the scope of the appended cla1ms without departing from or exceeding the spirit. of my invention.

Figure I represents a front View of a mounting embodying my improvements.

Figure II represents a sectional view thereof as on the line-.:II-II of Figure I.

Figure III represents a viewpartially in section of a temple construction embodying my improvements.

Figure IV represents a longitudinal sectional view of a" frame or temple wire'embodying certain of my improvements.

Figure V represents a view in plan and section of a strip of material for use in coverin my improved frame.

igure VI represents a similar view of the same formed into a tube.

Figure VII respresents a sectional view ophthalmic frame.

Figure VIII represents a view of the same"- grasped by the forming dies.

Figure X represents a view of the non mg or shagng dies to properly fit the frame.

igure represents a lan view. of the parts shown in Figure I Figure 'XI represents a. view of a slightly modified manner of forming my improved construction. Figure XII represents a plan view of'a of a split tube member initially applied to an the metal bridge of final step in the method or process illustrated in Figure XI.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates an ophthalmic mounting having soldered to each end thereof the grooved eye wire member 2 adapted to receive: the lens, these eye wire members being split at their outer sides and having their ends connected together as by the end pieces 3 which also serve as points of attachment for the pivoted temple butts 4: which are provided with the portions 5 adapted to fit behind the ear of the wearer and retain the mounting in position on the face.

The construction of frame just described is that ordinarily employed. in all-metal frames, possessing the desired rigidity of parts and the frame wires being grooved for the reception of lenses.

I heve found, however, that certain advantages reside in the coating of the exposed part or parts of the metallic frame with o non-metallic composition, such as celluloid, which will have a softer feeling where contacting with the face, which is impervious to the acid effects of perspiration or the like, liable to cause discoloration of gold-filled or similar metal frames, and which forms a slightly softer material for mounting of the lenses, lesseningthe liability of breakage of same.

As previously mentioned, prior to my invention numerous attempts have been made "to satisfectorilyobtain a structure of this nature, but all have been open to objection either from appearance or durability, or both.

In the carrying out bf my present invention, however, I am able to cover any or all parts of the frame after it has been soldered together and the several motel parts permunently united, and cm able to place on these metal parts a non-metellic covering which will be firmly held in place without eddh tional fastening members, which. willpresent an extremely neat and attractive uppearence, which will. provide e satisfactory" mounting for the lenses and properly pro tect the face of the wearer from contact with metallic parts.

' In the accomplishment of this result I mayif desired make use of sheet stock (5, as illustrated in Figure V, Figure V showing av blank" of stock adapted for the formation of an eye wire having at one side the notch 7 to receive the end 8 of the bridge 1, so that figure ,VI, which may 1 illustrated-or only psrtislly closed. A fur-.

the stock may pass around the bridge and down onto the eye wire. The material hav in been cut in sheet form, may then be ressed up into the split tube 9 illustrated in be. entirely closed, as

ther step may include the coating of the eye wire or otherpert 2 with 21- layer of glue,

Shel lock or suitebl'e' cement 10, after which the wease the tube. or portion or stock- 9 is placed snap ed or sprung around the outer face of reins 2. v

The parts are. then introduced between the separable die members 11 which are suitably heated to transmit heat to and soften the stock of the member 9, the. two dies being brought together to clamp the stock firmly against the frame 2 and cause itto curve inwardly toward the center as illustrated in connection with Figure VIII. The inwardly curving portions are engaged by the former 12, which is pressed therea ainst until it reaches the position shown in igure IX, when the inner part of the stock will be pressed tightly egeinst the groove of the frame and will itself form a. lens receiving groove, the joint being secured by the cement 10 extruded from the groove in the metal by the pressure of the ends of the non-metallic covering thereageinst. The pressure here applied and the control of the heat is such'thet the coatin will be firmly secured to the entire frame and satisfactorily remain thereon when the frame is removed .from the dies.

This forming step may be either with the frame in partially rounded condition, as illustrated in connection with Figure X, which shows a plan view of the dies and ports, or may be in the form. of a roller former 13 carried by the rotating arm 1.4 on. the stud 15 which is mounted on one of the dies and serves to roll down the material in circular form. In either event, I re 10o fer, through the use of suitable die members 11, to clamp the frame securely around the sizer plate 16, heating the sizer plate so that the celluloid may yield suiiicientlyto ex ectly conform to the size of the plate.

In this manner the interior diameter of the lens receiving groove 17 in the celluloid will be to exact standard size so that a stock stzinderd lens will accurately lit, while the securing of the zylonite or celluloid 9 to the frame 2 is such; as to prevent all expansion or contraction of the ma teriel in question so that the size will -be accurately maintained as well as the'parts remaining in place. If desired to assist in the retention of the covering 9 on either frames, bridges or temples, I may formthe metallic parts with the grooves, channels or recesses 18 into which the cement end celluloidor celluloid alone, if cement is not employed, will be pressed, while under the influence of heat in-the forming diesto insure a. more secure interlocking of the. parts. I w

The particulur importance of the sizer plate 16 residesin the fact that edged lenses as commercially sold and machines f01edg ing prescriptionwlenses are constructed to certain standards,lend=in ordervthetfe'lens be properly held withina, frame so thet the frame will tightly hold the lens in place and prevent turning or the like; which is ver injurious, particularly in connection wit cylindrical lenses, it is necessary that the interior diameter of the frame or lens receiving roove correspond exactly with the exterior diameter of the lens. It must neither be too tight a tit, causing a gap at the joint or end piece. or too loose, allowing the lens to slip. I, therefore, construct my sizer plate 16 of the exact correct size for the particular frame to be constructed and draw or squeeze the frame around the formerby the die members 11 so that the former provides the exact correct size of groove to receive the lens so that. a standard size lens may be readily inserted in the frame or such lenses interchangeably placed in the frame as desired, eliminating the necessity of specially fitting the individual lens to the individual frame. which has been a difliculty experienced in the past in con nection with prior art forms of non-metallic lens receiving rims.

I claim: I

1. The process of placing a non-metallic covering on a grooved metallic eye wire, consisting in forming the non-metallic. covering from sheet stock into a split tube, coating one of the parts with an adhesive, applying the. split tube to the eye wire, compressing the tube onto the eye wire and into the groove with heated dies to insure proper union of the parts, and stretching the combination frame about a sizcr plate to insure correct sizing of the interior lens receiving groove of the zylonite coated frame.

2. The process of applying a composition covering to a grooved metallic eye wire, consisting in forming flat non-metallic stock into transversely curved shape to embrace the eye Wire, and connecting the edges of the stock by a cementitious medium lying within the groove, whereby a continuous non-metallic enclosing covering is permanently affixed to the grooved eye Wire.

3. The process of applying a composition covering to a grooved metallic eye Wire, con sisting in exteriorly applying a split tube to the eye wire and reversely crimping the central portion of the tube to cause the same to fit tightly into the groove of the eye Wire. 1

4. The process of applying a composition covering to a grooved metallic eye wire, consisting in exteriorly applying a split'tube to the eye wire, reversely crimping the central portion of the tube to cause the same to fit tightly into the groove of the eye wire, and stretching the composition covering around a size plate to sufficiently displace the reversely crimped material to produce a standard size lens receiving groove. I

5. The process of applying a composition covering to a grooved metallic eye wire, consisting in eXteriorly applying a split tube to'the eye wire, rcversely crimping the central portion of the tube to cause the same to fit tigl rtly into the groove of the eye wire, and connecting the edges of the stock by a cementi'tinus medium lying within the groove, whereby a continuous non-metallic enclosing covering is permanently affixed. to the grooved eye wire. 1

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ELMER L. SCHUMACHER. Witnesses H. K. PARSONS, H. E; COLEMAN. 

